Meiling's Grand Plan to Glory
by For The Worst
Summary: Meiling was always at the beginning and the end of a joke, and nothing beneficial ever happened to her. From being the series dominant bully target, to the meta-world China incident. But jokes on them, for Meiling if handled correctly, can become a badass of the badass.
1. Runaway girl or Miko's cook

Hong Meiling. She who is aptly known by the name China was always the gateman for a certain eerie mansion build across the fairy lake. She have sworn to dedicate her life only for the benefits of the scarlet devil mansion's inhabitant, though it was always centered at young mistress Flandre Scarlet, but sometimes she took personal requests that came from the slightly older and in-charge, the petite vampire Remilia Scarlet.

Well, she **was** the gateman.

Currently at present, inside Remilia's chamber was a heated discussion about Meiling's current paycheck. It was rocky, loud, and adorned with curses that could even make even the most hardened spirits out there curl in a ball of shame. Outside the door were four peeping toms; Flandre, Sakuya, Koakuma, and Patchouli. All of them curiously listened through the small gaps beside the door to her chamber, patiently waiting for the fight to shimmer down.

"Haven't I raised your paycheck's enough!?" Remilia slams her fist onto the arm of her throne, "Why do you even need a raise anyway!? You don't eat outside, you're staying at the mansion without any loans, and you are always sleeping on the job anyway!"

Meiling grits her teeth, "I'll have you know that I almost always sleep on the job!"

Remilia in turn, felt helpless as she sighs. "Almost isn't good enough, you know?"

"But, but, I haven't been sleeping on the job since last month! Or, how about the time I convinced the Hakurei Girl to turn back and go home!? Or that time when I stole back the book Marisa 'borrowed'? That deserves a raise, right!?"

"True that it was a stunning performance, especially coming from you..." Meiling lifts her face to face Remilia with a smile. "But!" Meiling frowns, "But, you ended up leavivng your post to persuade the Hakurei Girl, and did the same in the case of Marisa. The mansion was in shamble when my little sister... no, Flandre didn't have any playmates and ended up destroying the mansion... again... for the hundred and eight times."

Meiling bit her lip with an awkward expression plastered on her face, knowing that she have to kiss those raises goodbye, and then she'll go back to her usual days of being bullied, enslaved, and then cry silently at night while cursing about every event that has happened within her life so far.

"...Then we had to rebuild it with the help of the lake fairies, the Hakurei Girl, and a certain drunken yokai that couldn't tell squat between a plank, and a steel beam." Remilia shudders, "So Meiling, I hope you'll understand my reasoning and wait for a couple of—"

Meiling froze and with a still awkward face, said. "I quit."

This surprised Remilia as she was thrown off balance, pretending not to listen, she asked again with an even more awkward smile, "Excuse me?"

"I quit!" Meiling pulled her hat and slams it to the floor, making a loud 'smack' noise that even those peeping toms could hear very clearly. "I quit this job! I'm sick of it! Tired of doing it! And most of all, I can't keep up with you guys' treatment of me anymore!" She ran to the door behind her, slamming the door open rather abruptly, leaving her to see four peeping toms who probably saw what happened from the start, or from the point of the heat.

The four peeping toms were in shock. If only Sakuya had stopped time a second faster, she could get all four of them unnoticed by Meiling, but alas, the poor girl saw all of them looking at her awkwardly, though 'in shock' may be a more appropriate reaction.

"...Did all of you saw that?" She asked, "Did you see it from start to finish?"

They couldn't help but nod.

Meiling was taken aback before shedding tears and ran for her room, leaving the four toms rather speechless about this whole situations. They lookd at each other before looking at the source of all the problem; Remilia Scarlet.

"Mistress, you've made a maiden cry."

"Big sister, why did you make Meiling cry? Isn't she dear to us?"

"Remi, is this really beneficial for the mansion? We have lost a gatekeeper without proper notice, leaving the mansion open for even more burglars. We can't just make Koakuma do it without her receiving a proper training."

"Yeah!" Koakuma rooted, but spaced for a second **"...Hey!"**

Remilia turned sour as she couldn't bear the words that were targeted at her. She soon scowls, grits her teeth, clenches her hand, and her body were trembling with anger. She tried to hold it in for a while, but soon gives in and yelled.

"FINE! I GET IT!" She stood up from her throne and hurriedly walks to the door leading to the inner mansion's corridor. "I'll try to reason with her myself and then I'll be done with this stupid incident... if, this could even be called an incident!"

After a fast walk, she grew worried of Meiling as her imagination runs wild in her head and ran through the corridors. Thinking if this isn't resolved quickly, she'll lose a gatekeeper, but even worse than that is when she thought about the way Meiling took the stress that was caused by this. She thought that she'll lock herself up in her room, ran away and then adapt herself in the woods, or by far the worst possible outcome; hung herself inside her room.

When she finally reached Meiling's room, she noticed that the sign stating that the room before her is intended for all purposes to be owned by Meiling was old and wrinkled. She could see scratches that was left from god knows when and remembered that this used to be an old storeroom. She hesitated to open the door, but after a while she gained courage and opened the door, screaming a sincere word.

**"MEILING!"**

But what she saw wasn't a crimson haired girl in guard duty outfit, but rather, it was an old grey and dark storeroom with a ragged old bed and a piece of guard duty outfit hung by the wall. That moment was a straight text book example of 'You do not care for the value of something, until she was lost'. Remilia silently watches the guard duty outfit, before closing the door by the knob that was waiting to be released by Remilia.

Sakuya who manages to catch up to Remilia asked, albeit hesitating. "...It didn't go well, did it?"

Remilia stopped, standing still for a while before forcing herself to speak. "Actually, it did go well. I have gotten rid of the useless gatekeeper that was always sleeping on the job, overstays her welcome, and eat our foods." Her voice was strained and left Sakuya to worry about her mistress. "Now, I can find a new gatekeeper that won't sleep on the job like she did, overstays her welcome like she did, and eat our foods like she did."

Sakuya couldn't argue and left hanging with choices of words that she have to carefully choose as to not shame her mistress, but couldn't find the right words, nor the timing to say it.

"But Sakuya," She said, "There can only be one Meiling. I was so... so... stupid." She rushed to hug Sakuya, planting her face onto Sakuya's chest. "Why can't I see it!? It's not possible to find Meiling's replacement that easily! I have not only lost a great gatemen for my mansion, a nice tenant for my empty mansion, and a great cook that gave us the best... tasty...and...and..."

Sakuya forced a smile whilst crying, "It's okay my mistress. For tonight, please let out all of your sadness. I will try my best to find Meiling tomorrow. I'm sure that she won't be too far gone from here. For now, please feel free to use my chest as a mean to hide your outburst. For I'm sure, that we'll find her in the morning."

Remilia went quiet. "Really?"

Sakuya nodded. "Yes, really."

Remilia hesitated for a second before replying with a sour voice. "...Okay."

Sakuya pats her mistress head, before ruffling her hair. "Feeling any better?"

"Yes, thank you." Was what she said, but she did not let go of Sakuya. "Hey Sakuya?"

"Hm?" Answered the maid.

"Why did you pad your breast?" She tried to make a joke, but ultimately feels like she was sulking by the tone of her voice. "It was fine just the way it is, Sakuya. Plus, it was hard to breathe in here, though it is a nice feel."

Sakuya smiled, gently and sincere this time. "Thank you for your compliment, mistress." She then ruffled Remilia gently, slowly making her asleep in her arms.

**-Girls are now preparing-**

Reimu Hakurei was sleeping until she was bored out of it. As she slides out of her futon and reached for her usual shrine maiden outfit, she have noticed that something was rather amiss. She thought about it for a while as she took off her pajamas and putting on her undergarments. Incidents? Nah, couldn't be. Did she pissed off somebody again? Probably, but it doesn't bother her at the very least. Did she forgot to wash her clothes? She sniffs the garment she wore and it smelled nice, like a mix between herbal mint and soap.

'_Wait a second.' She thought. 'Didn't I forgot to wash my outfit yesterday? So why is it so damn clean and smell so damn good?' She sniffed the scent of her clothing again before she smelled something nice coming from another direction. 'Speaking of smell, what is this smell? It smelled like somebody's cooking. Is it a burglar who is trying to eat my stashes of food again!? Why the nerve of people!'_

She rushed to her kitchen after getting dressed only to find that the smell was indeed coming from her kitchen. She slides the sliding door a little before peeking at the freeloader. A woman with long red hair, wearing a plain shirt with black trouser and a pair of white socks. She could hardly recognize the woman, but she knew that she have seen her somewhere before.

A spellcard in hand, she opened the door, but is greeted by said person who have been cooking for a while now. "Good morning Reimu, did you sleep well?" She opened the lid of the heated pot, revealing an otherwordly scent that caress the smelling senses of a human greatly. "I have helped myself in making our breakfast, shall we eat it together?" Reimu lowered her stand before nodding to Meiling's little offering as she felt her stomach is rumbling. Plus, being poor leaves her dying for an extravagant meal and then some.

"I... I would love to."

It took Reimu a full-on thirty minute to eat all of the food that Meiling had made for her. She didn't eat it slowly mind you, she was rushing to eat many a great and delicious food that she had rarely encounter from when she is on duty as a shrine maiden. "This is really great! The beef stew is amazing! This salty ramen too! Oh my I've never eaten a fried rice this delicious! And this sake is warmed just perfectly! Where did you lern how to cook, China!? This is godlike creation I'm tasting!"

Meiling smiled proudly. "Well, Sakuya used to teach me about cooking, but it was mostly western food with pre-made spices. So I spent my free time experimenting with foods and before long I've suprised everyone with my cooking." She took a piece of meat from her stew and ate it. "Though, I would like you to stop calling me China and start calling me with my real name."

"Sure Meiling, whatever you say."

Meiling was pleased as she grabbed a cup of tea. She tasted it, and was displeased about the taste of her tea, it was too tasteless and lukewarm. She knew very well that this is a dull comparison to what Sakuya can do. She sighs as she slid out of her chair. "Well Reimu, I don't want to overstay, but I'll be taking my leave now."

"Why?"

"I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"It's fine though, really. I wouldn't mind the company."

"Nah, I'll pass. I'll be a deadweight to the shrine anyway. I've decided to explore the foreign lands of Gensokyo by myself and I don't want to bother you."

"You'll die you know? Only a handful of youkai can cross the barrier that was set by the Hakurei Shrine for obvious reasons." She stopped eating at the time and was ready to finish her sake "What makes you think that you can survive the barrier? Even if you can pass through, do you even know what awaits at the unciviled parts of Gensokyo? Your death I am certain."

Meiling froze as she tried to slid the door to the hallway open. She know full-well of the danger and was ready to die, but now that it was said and discussed, she began to have doubts about her grand plan to glory, or glorified suicide. "Then what should I do?"

"How about becoming the second Miko of Hakurei, Meiling?"

Both Reimu and Meiling turned around to find a strange individual that is seating at Meiling's seat and eating pieces of fish with her own chopsticks. They know full well that it was the sound of Yukari Yakumo, the mastermind of all the incident that has happened throughout the Gensokyo's timeline. A very cunning person that could overthrow even Gods themselves out of their wits. Meiling tried to ask, but Reimu signaled her to halt the question and asked herself. "Becoming the second shrine maiden of a shrine? Is that even possible? Or allowed by any sense?"

Yukari giggled eeriely. "True it may not be allowed for you have forged a contract with the japanese holy deities, and you of the Hakurei cannot break the contract by allowing another miko to forge the same contract while you are still holding pacts with them." She stopped to eat a little bit of the stew. "But have you forgotten that Meiling have this... unique character trait that can bypass a certain rule that was specifically made to make you unbroken?"

Reimu stopped to think before reaching a conclusion, leaving Meiling astounded, while at the same time, confused. "I get it. To be the true successor of a Miko, you need to forge a pact with the deities that fits your believes, but Meiling can bypass that because she is Chinese!"

"...Excuse me? Is that racism?" She asked with a side helping of a frown.

Reimu shook her head. "No, it means that we can both be the true miko without even breaking pact with the deities. Since while they're technically the same gods and godesses from Shinto mythology, all of them have many versions according to what a person believe them to be!"

Meiling realized something as she clapped loudly. "I get it! It's because I'm chinese, I can make myself believe that those gods are the same as their chinese counterparts and forge pacts with them according to my belief that they are the chinese gods of taoism! Therefore, they're both the same deities, yet a different entity by themselves! So I can become a Shrine Maiden, awesome!"

"Of course, there are some problems that came with it." Yukari finishes her meal and went inside a gap she had just opened at the most important time. Reimu and Meiling should have known better not to trust a cryptic creep like Yukari, but Reimu can't just leave Meiling to die, not when she can force her to work at the kitchen full-time, making her a sandwich or two.

"Like for example?"

"You need to beat one of those deities and gain their respect, of course." With that, Yukari sucked herself into the gap before closing it rather abruptly, leaving Meiling with nothing but one question in her mind. Reimu could probably guess what is on Meiling's mind right now, she prepares for the best as she readied a hand that was curled into a fist.

"Reimu, where can I find a god?"

'_Yes!' Reimu thought, spiritually fist-pumping for this grand celebration._

* * *

_**Hi hi! FTW here.**_

_**This is actually my first time writing a Touhou fanfiction, so it's not really that grand or anything (but I hope it's grand for the readers though!), and I hope I got the characters right (Maybe Flandre was a little bit too... normal?). Though I must confess, It was fun writing this kind of story in this kind of setting, because Gensokyo is a weird place and Yukari is a sexy hag with incredible powers, I decided to include Yukari in maybe every chapter that is yet to come.**_

_**Still regarding Yukari mothergapping Yakumo, is it appropriate to associate her with Marribel Hearn? From what I can tell, they both look awfully similar to each other, does anybody know anything about that? I hope I'm not the only one since Pimpnosuke said that Yukari Yakumo isn't really her real name at all, but she picked it to be the strongest out of her Yakumo trio.**_

_**Well, until next time!  
**_

_**Touhou Project - Shanghai Alice, Zun. All-rights reserved. 1996**_


	2. The green miko, or Mikos in springs

Marisa was flying aimlessly as usual, riding her trusty broom as a company. At the end of the broom is a box tied with a rope that was strapped around the broom. She was going to visit Keine and asked her for the necessary history that have any records of treasure being buried, and what's inside the box was supposed to be a bribe of some sort, but Keine denied her request, and is even disgusted by Marisa's way of bribing.

"It was unprofessional she said." Mumbled Marisa as the image of Keine declining Marisa's plea for help was being rolled onto her retina again. "If you have an item that is missing, don't expect me to give it back to you!" Marisa screams without any real purpose other than to relieve some stress. She thought about her action before sighing.

"What is wrong with my life right now?" She laid down on her broom, still airborne. "This is too boring! I want some fun! If there is a god right now that cares for my amusement in life, then give me a damn sign already!"

Suddenly a lightning strikes that caught Marisa off-guard and made her fell from her broom. She hurriedly clicked her fingers to make the broom came back and picked her up, but it didn't listen and keep on keeping on.

"God, you are such an ass..." She mumbled, closing her eyes as she embraced death while posing as if she's crucified.

"Don't say that, it's rude for the other party." A hand reached over Marisa and caught her in a princess-like position. "Really Marisa, you ought to be careful next time. Gensokyo is a very strange place you know?"

Marisa opened her eyes and was in awe as a crimson haired beauty was smiling at her, almost un-recognizeable that she is who she think she is. "Wait, aren't you China!? My god, you can fly!" She observed the dress Meiling wore and she was confused by them, but at the same time, felt like it suit her perfectly. "That dress you're wearing, isn't that of the Hakurei Shrine?"

Meiling smiled with an eyebrow raised. "I have always been able to fly Marisa, and stop calling me China, it's getting ridiculously dull in each and every fangames that I was in." She wanted to toss Marisa down, but she'll probably regret it later. "Though, this is actually my second time wearing a shrine maiden's outfit." Meiling grew flustered as she slowly hovers down into the woods, carefully not hitting any branches or tiny stubs that could poke someone's eyes out.

"Second?" Marisa was filled with curiosity. "When's the first?" She landed on the ground without any issues thanks to Meiling, but she can't help but wonder what will happen to her broom, or more importantly, what is being strapped with a rope around the broom..

Meiling scratched her cheek, rather embarassed in speaking about it. "Well, when I was trying to wear Reimu's old clothes it proves to be a little too small for comfort... and my armpits are clearly visible—"

"Ah, hairy armpits, eh?" Marisa rubbed her chin like a detective that has been analyzing his files with a big grin on his face. "I think I remember the time when Reimu has a hairy armpi—"

"Now stop right there Marisa, or I'll have to kick you out of Gensokyo." Reimu who walked in her own pace interrupted Marisa at a rather perfect timing, as if she have been planning to do it since the first paragraph of the story. "Geez Meiling, why didn't you come back and finish the trial? It's hard for me to stall enough times for this deity, and she's a pain anyway so hurry up." Reimu clicked her tongue before scratching her head, annoyed. "This is supposed to be your third deity, I'm sure that you had at the very least, a sense of it by now."

"Well, somone has to save a maiden who fell from the sky, right?" She answered, Reimu sighed. "And besides, if I have been drawn to this miko shticks, might as well finish it in one go, right? How much deity I need to conquer again?"

Reimu held her hand up and started counting with her fingers. "Out of three hundred and seventeen million, five hundred thousand forty three hundred and thirty four shinto deities, surprisingly there are only a hundred and twelve shinto deities with both chinese and japanese names, but getting four spirits will suffice." She mumbled, "Did you get that?"

Meiling nodded. "Sure, just two more to go right?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Marisa interrupted. "Third deity? Shinto and taoism!? Can somebody explain to me what is going on? I think I have missed a few flags and tried to fast-play this a little bit too far." She points at Meiling, "You, why did you become a miko?" She then points at Reimu. "And you! Why didn't you tell me about any of this since day one!? I thought we were friends!"

"Marisa."

"Yes Reimu?"

"This is still day one." She said humbly.

Marisa had a plain expression. "Wait, what?"

Reimu smiled proudly. "I thought Meiling how to be a shrine maiden, and so far I have been pleased with her results!" She couldn't help but let out a boasting laugh. "In all fairness though, it is rare to see someone making three pacts with three different deities in one day. Hell, even I couldn't handle the stress of forging seven pacts with seven different deities in a day!"

Meiling could feel herself amused by Reimu's words, but it left her a tad bit confused. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but I'll take all I can get." She bowed, "Thank you, Reimu."

Reimu smiled, both satisfied and flustered. "Don't say it like that. It's a fine way to kill time, and I have lots of free time anyway." She then coughed aloud, still smiling. "Okay Meiling, let's go resume the trial to beat Kirin! She's a lower deity, but is still stronger than a middle-level youkai. It's like a stage four mid-boss, in a way." She than dashed into the forest along the dirt pathways, Meiling soon followed her happily.

"I'm coming Reimu."

Marisa was left in shock, and amazed at the same time she didn't have a time to close her gaping mouth shut. She then pinched her cheek as hard as she can before screaming in agony like a total idiot. "Ouch, ouch!" She released her hand from her cheek and rubbed her hand gently against her own cheek. "I can't even tell if this is a dream or reality anymore... bah, it got nothing to do with me. I just want to get home."

Marisa walked the opposite dirt pathways to the exit of the forest, wondering by herself how to get home without as much as having a hundred walks.

* * *

**-Girls are now Preparing-**

* * *

"Sanae."

"Yes, Lady Kanako?" Sanae turned behind her to see Kanako with a blue ice fairy hanging by the collar of her shirt in Kanako's hand. "Can you take care of this fairy? I think she was knocked out by something."

Sanae lifted the fairy with both her hands and could tell directly that she is the ice fairy nineball Cirno. "What happened to her!? Oh my, you have a bruise on your head! Are you okay!? Can you give me a life sign!?" She shook the fairy lightly before pressing her ear against her chest. Sanae sighed in relief when she heard a faint pulse coming from her chest.

"Is she alive?"

Sanae nods. "Yeah, just barely," She stopped to lift Cirno in a bridal-styled position before resuming. "Lady Kanako, how about taking easy on this poor kid. She is bruised all over her arms, legs, stomach, as if she was grazing for her life! Plus, there is this bruise on her head! Did you bonk her with your guncannons... again?"

Kanako went silent. "...Maybe?"

Sanae sighs, "Lady Kanako..."

Kanako coughed aloud with a face as beet as a fresh tomato, "Well, let's discuss a more thriving matter at our hands first..." She was trying to sound confident as she changed the topic into a more serious matter, but Sanae couldn't help but giggle silently. "Did you use any miracles?"

Sanae gulped as she was taken aback by the sudden surprise. She mustered her courage, but ended up answering her goddess with a stuttering voice. "N-No! Even if I can make many miracles, it will took me six months worth of stored miracle points, or by defeating a godly being worth a trillion souls to even revive a dead entity, let alone healing a small fairy." She explained. "I don't have enough miracle points for that either."

Kanako frowns, Sanae gulps.

The moment passed as if it was an hour, but it was not even a mere one second.

Kanako sighed before smiling to consult Sanae. "Well, as long as you understand the value of a single miracle, I think I'll let this one slide." She began to walk to the sliding door just behind Sanae. "You've used a mont or two of your miracle points right? So you better take her to that hidden hotspring, it has many great healing factors not found in any part of Gensokyo." She paused, staring at the cherry-patterned sliding door before turning her head to Sanae. "You do know which Hot spring I am talking about, right?"

Sanae blinked. "Won't the ice fairy dissolve with hot water?"

Kanako laughed approvingly. "Yup, she'll dissolve into a puddle of cold water, hahaha, I'm just joking. If it can heal any pain caused by youkais, then it can be used to negate a certain element of a youkai that will hinder her recovery rate." She slides open the door, but before she could went inside the room, Sanae called out for her.

"Lady Kanako, why did you save this idiot nineball?" She wondered, "Did you took a liking on her?"

Kanako smiled awkwardly. "Sanae, you thought of me too much. I was only postponing a heated battle due to some unforeseen circumstances, that's all." She scratched her cheek, flustered. "Though, to admit it sincerely, I was only taking care of the victor... ah, nevermind. Just go take that nineball to the hotspring and I can call it even between us." Kanako shuts the door behind her, leaving Sanae to continue wandering her goddess' complicated circumstances.

"_What does she mean when she said the victor?" Sanae thought as she walked across the winding path connecting to the main shrine, halfway she gasped as if receiving a blessing of knowledge. "Did Cirno beat Lady Kanako in a fight? Or did I just misheard what Lady Kanako just said? Anyway, I need to go to the hotspring and heal her wounds."_

"_How did she know that I was using my two months of stored miracle points were beyond me though. If that's not the scariest moment of my life, I don't know what else is scarier." She mumbled as she passed by Lady Suwako who is busy sweeping the front gate of the shrine._

"Going somewhere Sanae?" Suwako asked with a joyful smile.

"Oh, I'm going to visit the hidden hotspring. Would you like to come too, Lady Suwako?" She offered, but Suwako shook her head in total disappointment. That reminded Sanae of the poker game just the other night where Lady Suwako successfully received the cleaning duty for a month after losing in a risky play crafted by Lady Kanako. "I see, then I'll be going now. Take care Lady Suwako." Sanae lifts herself from the ground and waved the frog goddess goodbye.

"You too dear." She laughed as she waved back at the now distant Sanae, "Don't you wish to be young and alive again?" She appears to be mumbling to herself, but then she turned her head to face Yukari who is silently watching her from a gap behind her. "Isn't that what you're aiming for? You Gap-hag?"

Yukari chuckled eerily. "Why, what in devils name are you talking about Grandma Ribbit." She went out of her gap to greet Suwako with a bow as she talked sarcasticly. "Isn't it just your old age taking a toll wih your imagination? Goddess tend to go paranoid the longer she lingers in a fantasy realm like this."

"Eh, I'm just messing with ya." Suwako laughed. "Wanna come inside and have some warm sake?"

Yukari smiled, "I hope you can spare me a glass of chianti." She pulled out a clean see-through wine glass from a gap and from another gap she grabbed a bottle of sake that she held with her free hand. "I'll treat you with the sake."

"Sure, why not?" Both Yukari and Suwako walked at the center of the stone pathways leading to the house behind the main shrine, and soon disappeared out of sight as they went inside the front door of the Kochiya household, gensokyo branch.

**-9-**

"Come on Meiling, the water's fine!" Reimu yelled to the far end of the area as she stood after feeling the water's heat. "You've finally beaten four deities already, so shouldn't we celebrate about it?" She took off her towel that she wraps around her body, revealing a smooth skin of white and a slender body. She slowly inserted her feet, accustomed to the hit, she went inside with grace as she sat at the edge of the spring. "Ah..." She reached for a towel before wrapping it up in such away around her head. "Meiling, are you coming or not?"

"Do we really need to bath... without any clothing in here?" Meiling went closer to see Reimu due to how thick the steam is. Reimu couldn't help it, but she had to grit her teeth against each other as she found out that Meiling is more... developed, to say it in a way, than her. "Won't we be attacked by a youkai? What about any wild beast?" She asked hastily.

"This hot spring is fortified by a barrier right now, so I doubt that anyone will come here do us a hard time." She said, assuring Meiling that it will be fine. "Rather than that, shouldn't you unwrap the towels? It's bad enough that I need to see you voluptuous body in such a way, just take off your towel and come here you!" Reimu went up the spring into the dried ground before pulling Meiling's towel off of her body.

What follows is a glorified moan that took Reimu by surprise. Meiling quickly sat down in a fetal position as her arm censored parts of her breast that can only be described if this fanfiction has a rating of an 'M'. Reimu easily grabbed Meiling's right hand, and then pulling it in such a way that it became a throw that tossed Meiling into the spring with ease. Reimu feeling satisfied, cracked her stiff shoulder lazily. "Man, I really am getting rusty."

Meiling who is currently submerged in hot water, quickly went to the surface and breath in the first air she was given to. "Reimu, why did you toss me into the spring?" She said in an agitated, yet helpless voice. "You're just too carefree, what if my head were to hit a rock?"

Reimu chuckled, "Easy, you'll die."

The air went silent and stagnant at the same time it's rather unbearable. "A-Anyway, why do we need to wash our bodies here without any clothings? Shouldn't we be using towels instead?"

Reimu shook her head while grinning. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Meiling." She clicked her tongue while wiggling her index finger left and right at Meiling. "Isn't it obvious? We need a sense of hot... tempting... and suggestive..." She said slowly in an enthralling voice. "Moreover, very innocent... fanservice."

"I wouldn't even call that 'very innocent' out of you though."

Meiling and Reimu turned their heads at the source of the reply and stand ready with their most powerful spellcard in both hands, but soon lowered their stances and relax again as the voice came from a certain shrine maiden called Sanae Kochiya. Reimu raised her hand slightly and greets her with a smile, while Meiling simply bows with respect.

"Yo Sanae, what's up?"

Sanae replied by waving her hand. "I have some business to attend to, can you both help me undress Cirno?" She said with a smile. Meiling coughed after accidentally sucking up water while Reimu blinked with an expression that says "what?". Sanae realizing that her words meant something else began to blush. "N-No, no, no! It's not what you think it is!" She explained. "What I'm trying to say is, could you please help me undress Cirno and make her rest inside the hot spring?"

Meiling lifted her eyebrow as she tilted her head. "Won't Cirno melt?"

Reimu laughed. "Yeah, are you sure that she won't melt if we put her inside the hotspring? She is an **ice fairy**." Though that is what Reimu said, she walked closer to Sanae. "So, where's the little brat?"

Sanae hesitate as she looked closely at the undressed Reimu, somehow jealous to the fact that she had a more petite body than her. "Cirno is over there behind a rock, I hid her there since I had sensed two powerful beings inside the hidden spring." She sighs before smiling, "But I would never guess that it was actually Reimu and Meiling."

"Your sense must be wrong Lady Sanae." Meiling rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not strong enough, I'm just a mere human, what can I do?"

Sanae smiled while Reimu smirked. "Don't let your guard down against her, she's the scariest person I've actually have known better since that Gap-hag." Reimu pats Sanae on the back before taking Cirno, "Let me handle the brat while you keep Meiling company, she can learn a thing or two from her senior."

Sanae became confused when the word senior is brought upon her, but after looking closely at Meiling, she could feel four more faint elements that resonates with each other and Meiling's own elements. "Don't tell me." Sanae paused to recollect her thoughts. "Are you by chance... a shrine maiden?"

Meiling blinked, "H-How did you know?" Meiling rosed up from the spring to reveal her more developed body parts. "Lady Sanae, you're amazing!"

Sanae laughed, "It was nothing, really." She began to remove her vest, and slid out of her Hakama, taking Meiling by surprise. She then removed her flippers and socks and unpinned her headdress, leaving her stark naked as she looked at Meiling, embarassed. "W-what? I also want to take a break and relax." She used her hand to cover the many girly parts of her body before she carefully went inside the spring.

Meiling being the straight man, calmed down as she tried to relax by leaning against a rock. It was quite craggy, but it'll do. "She looked at Sanae and decided to ask about the training to become a true shrine maiden. Sanae gladly answered her many questions with her own kind of answers. Meiling had learned that if you want to forge a pact with a deity, you need to beat them in a battle and then earning their trust, but if it is a god, even if you beat her, there's a slim chance that she wouldn't like you and won't forge a path with you.

"So did you beat both Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako?"

Sanae shook her head. "No. It was actually a one-sided bargain." She laughed sentimentally before she went silent for a while, and then she spoke. "I... am actually an outsider who is brought here not with my own will, but rather as a mean to bring faith into Gensokyo. I had to leave my duty as a highschooler, say goodbye to my parents without probably ever seeing them again, and it was hard to leave my friend without noticing them beforehand."

Meiling could tell that Sanae is rather anxious, or was feeling a bit guilty. "But I am actually glad that I became a shrine maiden as per my family's lineage. It made me realize that this fantasy realm called Gensokyo, is a strange world, but in a good way." She looked at Meiling with a sincere smile. "Are you from the outside world too, Meiling?"

Meiling raised her shoulders. "Who knows?" She sighed, a bit discontent. "Why I'm in Gensokyo itself is actually a mystery by itself." She snorted coyly. "The least I can remember from it was that when I woke up, I am in the hands of a well-known petite vampire."

"Remilia Scarlet?" Sanae wasn't surprised. "With her tendencies, I wouldn't be surprised if she helped a human or two."

Meiling shook her head. "No, it was Flandre Scarlet. Remilia's little sister."

Sanae was taken aback by what had transpired just now. "Flandre Scarlet? The U. ? She actually had a compassion?" Sanae looked at Meiling with disbelief. "Isn't she the weapon of mass destruction that is sealed within the scarlet mansion?"

Meiling stopped her. "That's just rude. Flandre is a nice kid, and you shouldn't judge her like that. It's rude for the other party, as they say." Meiling frowned as she looked at Sanae. "Maybe if you spent a little more time with her, you'll find out their true characters."

Sanae chuckled. "You're surprisingly a nice enough human being, aren't you?" She said, teasing.

Meiling chuckled the tease back. "Well, Gensokyo is a strange and wonderful place. So you'll bound to meet a nice enough human being such as I, no?"

"You may be the nicest human being, but **I. AM. THE. STRONGEST!**"

Meiling and Sanae looked up as she saw Cirno in a fetal position where she slowly descend into the water by using the force of gravity and made a splash at the center of the spring, splashing Sanae and Meiling at the face. Though it doesn't hurt, it's rather very annoying.

"Meiling, I challenged you to a canonbal contest! The winner will be decided on who can make the greatest splash! How about it!? Are you game!?" Cirno said as loud as ever. Meiling smiled at Cirno's enthusiasm, but declined.

"Sorry Cirno, I think I'll rest." She said. "After four battles with a deity, I think I rather have a rest. It's exhausting as it is." Meiling yawned. "Maybe next time Cirno, I promise."

Cirno nods enthusiastically. "It's a promise you better keep!"

Meiling smiled. "I will." She then leaned back and relaxed. Marisa said that you won't felt any dizziness inside this hotspring as it gives you a great deal of healing powers, thus negating the dizziness effect that were commonly caused by any ordinary hotsprings. She looked at the sky before taking a nice shut eyes.

* * *

**Hi hi! FTW here!**

**I'm sorry if this chapter is not to your liking, but I prefer a nice pacing rather than going straight into the battle, and beside, Meiling's battle with the four starting deities are rather short and one-sided (Meiling one-shot the first two deity, while the third and fourth she struggled with, but she beaten them with a careful planning, and a powerful punch to their faces). To make better understanding of Meiling's deity she had beaten, here they are:  
**

**1. Ame-no-Kokoro, the goddess of the colorful rain.  
**

**2. Kamaitachi-no-Kariya, the goddess of the feverish wind.**

**3. Kirin-no-Mikata, the goddess of the roaring thunder.**

**4. Kazami-no-Chihiro, the goddess of the rumbling earth.**

**Though I have already gotten their chinese name down, it's a pain to memorize both of their name, so I'll just use their japanese name (I'm a lazy bastard, lol). So anyway, it's not that I haven't done any research, but I was actually just lazy. Regarding the next chapter, since I'll have an end of the semester test on monday, expect that I'll be in a hiatus for a week, but I'll try to update the next chapter by sunday.**

**Well, until next time!**

_**Touhou Project, 1996 - ZUN. All rights reserved.**_


	3. Incident Arc 1: Wonderful Archipelago

_**(Warning: Those who are weak-hearted is advised to hit CTRL + F and search for 'Girls are now preparing'. Reader's discretion are advised as the next scene may prove to be too scary for your own good. You have been warned.)**_

Scarlet devil mansion's inhabitant was thrilled as Meiling came from the front door and greeted everyone that was present in the dining room. Sakuya smiled plainly as she had always done so, Remilia averted her eyes, but secretly smiling in relieve as she looked the other way. Patchouli dropped the book she was reading in amazement, and Flandre hurriedly rushed to take a dive into Meiling's chest.

"Meiling! You're back!" Flandre sounds so excited as she leaps into Meiling's chest and pressed her face, sunggling her. Meiling feel ticklish as she tried to stop Flandre from tickling her to death. Marisa ruffled Flandre's hair after removing her silk hat and it made Flandre stop, before a sniffeling voice was heard from her chest. "Hey Meiling." Flandre looked up, her eyes were in tears. "You better don't try to leave us again, okay? We're really worried about you, and moreover, it's kind of boring here without my playmate."

Meiling had heard the word playmate being used to describe her role to Flandre in a nutshell, but she had never known that the word playmate that came from Flandre's mouth can make her shed a tear, and moreover, make her feel like she had accomplished a huge goal of life, as if her entire life is leading her to this very particular moment of her life.

Flandre slowly looked at Meiling, before pressing her head into her chest again, "And for that you shall die!" Flandre stabbed Meiling and her hand pierced through her chest. Meiling spat out blood as she tried to remove Flandre's hand. She looked at Flandre who is grinning from ear to ear, eyes wide with her irises flashing bright red. "Meiling you shall die! Die and then reborn, and then die again! Die! Die! Die! Die!"

Meiling kicked Flandre with all her might and managed to knock Flandre to the floor. She looked down her chest, and found a decapitated arm with its bone stuck at the hinge of its bone. Blood soon bursts from it. She looked at Flandre's right arm as she began to stand up and it was gone. Meiling keeled and puked her insides out. She then looked at her arm which started to melt like a candle exposed to fire. Her skin melted with her bone, yet she didn't feel a thing. Next was her right face as she can feel her right eye getting blurry.

"**IT HURTS DOESN'T IT MEILING!?"** Flandre screamed. She cackled before screaming again. **"WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING NOW, IS MY PAIN! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE US MEILING!"** And then she laughed as her face also melts like a burned candle, leaving only her skull that cackled, with its teeth chattering as it rammed themselves into one another.

Meiling looked at Sakuya who also melts, before disappearing into complete dust that only leaves her Luna Dial clock in the air before it fell and broke into many pieces. Patchouli who sits at the other side of the table from Sakuya, turns into blue liquid starting from her head, leaving only her eternal organs that made a splat as it hits the floor. Koakuma who stands behind Patchouli, looked at Meiling with disgust as she decapitate herself with a sword. Her head rolled on the floor into Meiling's lap, while her body turned into blood-red bats that flew away. She looked at the head, and her face disappear while her hair turned into snake that went into Meiling's right half of her head.

Meiling looked helplessly at her master as she stretched her hand to her master who is across the room from her that has averted her gaze so far. "Mistress Remilia..." She pleaded. "Save me."

Remilia slowly turned her head to Meiling, but what Meiling saw only frightened her more. She saw her master's face morphed into a scaled beast with her schleras akin to darkness itself. Her red irises glows brighter than flandre, and her pupils are like that of a reptile; empty and cold. Her mouth opens wide as if grinning, baring her white fangs that is twice the size of a normal beast as her wings grows into a deep black void filled with eyes that stares Meiling equally as empty. Meiling closed her eyes, but as she looked down and opened her eyes, she was full of fear as well as shock to find Remilia, whose face is only an inch from hers, grinning at Meiling who is now, scared out of her wits. Meiling couldn't avert her eyes as an unknown force compels her to look at Remilia in the eyes. Remilia in turn, opened her mouth.

"**Goodbye, Meiling."** Her voice are distorted enough that it may traumatize Meiling... and it definitely did as Meiling's pupil went white as her irises rolled back.

"No more... no... more..." She whimpered as a single tear formed from her melting eyeballs. "No... more..." And with that, she inserted Meiling into her mouth, and then she bit her head off.

* * *

**-Girls are now preparing-**

* * *

Meiling rose up from her futon and sat, gasping for air. She was sweating, and her head is dizzy. She could hear a bell ringing inside her head as her vision spins uncontrollably. She tried to calm down, but instead, she remembered her dream. The visual was clear enough as she remembered every second that felt like a torture to her. She hastily stands up and knocked a table as she hurried herself into the shrine's backyard.

Meiling keeled before throwing out her dinners out.

Reimu woke up to heard a scream of agony from outside her room. She slid her door open to shout at Meiling. "Damn it China, if you want to make a ruckus do it somewher—" She stopped as she saw Meiling who is weakly puking her insides. She hurriedly grabs a box of first aid kit and ran to Meilings side. She patted Marisa on her back before stroking her neck gently.

"There, there. Just let it out." She said, a bit motherly. "After this I'll make you a nice hot soup, how does that sound?"

Meiling looked at Reimu in tears after puking the last of her insides. "Thank you Reimu." She said as she wipes out her saliva and some remains of her insides that is on her lips. "I think I'll fare for a midnight snack."

Reimu smiled arrogantly. "Well, you better pay me off with a grilled boar when you're healthy again." She said as she went to the nearest well, raised a bucket full of water, and put some of it inside of a glass and gave it to Meiling. "Here, have something to clean your throats. It must be pretty sore, isn't it."

Meiling nods as she reached for the glass and drink it with no hesitation. It was refreshing. She now wonders how to clean up her insides that was splattered all over the grass in the backyard.

**-Hakurei is now counceling-**

"I see, so you had a bad dream." Reimu scratched her head. "I suppose I'm too hard on you. Forcing you to make a pact with six deities in only a day is sure to give you a lot of fatigue, so I'm sorry." Reimu bowed like a knight. Meiling hurriedly apologized and told her that it was not her fault and she should lift her head. Reimu gladly do as she was told to do and sighed. "Still, that means that we have to stop making pacts with more gods." She laughed plainly.

"Yes, you should at least rest for one month." Said a familiar voice. Reimu and Meiling swear that they're rather surprised to hear a voice that came from out of nowhere, but they should have known better to expect an uninvited guest at the most unusual time to come visit. Meiling doesn't even bother to use her usual stance as she didn't feel any harmful intent from Yukari, but Reimu had a spellcard in her hand just for safety.

"Yukari Yakumo." Said Meiling. "This is the second time we've met, yet you're always as graceful as ever I see." Meiling bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, but this time I intent to ask you a question."

Yukari went red as she blushed and tried to stay modest. "My, my, aren't you a polite one." She hummed happily and then looked at Reimu with a face that said 'I wish Reimu would be more polite to her elders too.' That it ticked off Reimu. Yukari who is maneuvering with that said 'Don't worry, I'm only teasing you, that's all.' Made Reimu grumble as she crossed her arms.

"I see that you have captured the basic elements spirits. I guess this is your limit for now." She said as she laughed softly. She then opened a gap and then her hand went inside. Appeared to grab something, she pulled it out to show a letter written in an unknown letter that is alien to both Meiling and Reimu. "Sadly, I did not come here with any intention to congratulate you, Meiling." She then used her power to skew the border between the words and make it readable to both Meiling and Reimu. She did a long sigh before giving the letter to Reimu.

"What's inside it Reimu?" Meiling asked. Reimu went silent as she gave Meling the letter. She silently went outside the living room and closed the door silently. Meiling looked at the letter to find a letter announcing an attack from the hakurei border of the south. "Hakurei border from the south? What's beyond there Lady Yukari?" Meiling asked Yukari, but she can only bit her lip and hesitates to answer.

Yukari sighed. She then looked at Meiling. "This is a classified information, so please keep it as hidden as possible." Yukari is now glaring at Meiling with her iris fixated at hers. Meiling nods and Yukari slowly smiled and it relieved Meiling. "Hakurei border of the south is what we of the Barrier associates usually refers for Southern Gensokyo, but the population over the barrier called it 'The Archipelago' which in itself is a home for many unique spiritual beings and humanoids alike that may or may not be the same as that in any parts or areas of Gensokyo."

Meiling tilts her head to the side curiously. "Barrier associates? Do you mean there is an association that governs every barrier parts of the Gensokyo? Whoa, I never knew." She closed her eyes and then calmed herself to think before she continued. "But if that is so, who represents the Hakurei border of the south!? Or rather, the mastermind of this incident?"

Yukari clicked her tongue. "She has a power similar to mine, but is entirely different in nature." She bit her right thumb's nail while trying to explain it to Meiling. "If I have the power to open gaps and distort every borders of life at will, her power is to control every living hearts that is in her vicinity. Though her power is not that of killing, but rather the power of suggestions."

"For example?"

"Take for an example, my power to distort the border between alien languages and japanese language. By skewing those borders, I could make alien language be translated into japanese with ease." She took the letter from Meiling as she explains it to Meiling point by point. Meiling almost dozed off but ended up slapping herself awake. "But her, she would have used her power to put suggestions in your hearts so you can self-translate the letter yourself. What I'm wondering is that how come she declared an attack now. Out of all the time she would've picked why did she pick now?" She mumbled. "Was it because of a misunderstanding, or maybe a miscommunications?"

"Was it because of me?"

Yukari quickly realized something as her head quickly rose up as if receiving an enlightenment. "...Was it because of that one time!?" She quickly ran the equation on her head by skewing the borders of chance and found that it has a ninety-eight percent out of a hundred the true nature of this whole incident. She gracefully stands up before opening a gap. She stopped halfway and looked at Meiling and gave her an order to keep it quiet with an index finger over her lips.

Meiling nods and Yukari leaps into the gap before closing it. Even though Meiling seems to understanding something, but Yukari being, well, Yukari, made her looked like she doesn't understand squat.

From the door came Reimu wearing her usual shrine maiden get-up with another shrine maiden outfit in her hands. She turned her head to face Meiling and throw the outfit at her. "Here, suit yourself up. We're going to leave for the south immediately." She went to a cabinet behind Meiling to find her homing amulet and her piercing needles. She paused for a second before reminding Meiling. "Please bring one to four numbers of spellcards. More than that and you'll break the balance, but please adjust the numbers according to your spellcards power. We do not want to cause another incident."

Meiling nods as she tried to fold her sleeve into such away that it didn't hinder her movements. Even though this is her third time in wearing a miko outfit, she's still more adjusted to wearing a qipao as if second nature to her, that the Hakama felt like it were made only for over-excessive weighting.

"Meiling." Reimu called as Meiling had just finished getting ready. "I recommend for you to refrain from using your deity power as your conditions are, well, more or less unstable." Reimu helped Meiling stand before she went for the backyard pavement. "Have you readied your spellcards?"

Meiling nods. She then stretched her arms and legs before walking to Reimu's side, ready to rumble.

"Shall we go then?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

With that, they both flew and heads for the south, where a long strand of beaches awaits, with a small area of islands that adorns it beautifully. Nevertheless, as the black pieces move for the counter, the white pieces in the board moves to counter accordingly.

**-Culture of the southern are invading-**

**-It is still unknown, but the girls from the south are not as different from the east. Unknown southern do their best to star in this mere fantasy as it helps to move the fate of this world. They know full well of the consequences of their consequences as they invade the east-**

Two girls pressed her hands against an air that formed like a wall in-front of them. The one on the left wears clothing like she is a federal bureaucrat agent. Black office outfit with red tie that stretches as far as her hip, with white shirt that are buttoned except the top one. Her feet are equipped with black boots made for land combats, and a gun holster is visibly strapped along with her belt. She looked more serious than the one to the right of her.

The other girl wore a clothing akin to that of a doctor. White farmer's jacket with black t-shirt inside. She has a red scarf that is wrapped around her neck with black gloves that is equipped to her hands. She wore a brown-striped skirt that is as long as her knee, with socks that ran as far as her knee. She wore a black platform shoes with a white stripe near the parts below the shoelaces.

"So... this barrier is what keeping us from the other region." She laughed proudly. "Disguising this barrier as an enormous horizon makes me want to laugh." She released the gun from her holster and aimed it at the focal point of the barrier with her gun. She chanted an incantation that made the gun shines. "Compact Spell card Program Active. **'Fairness and Equality : Independence Buster'**." She roared. Soon after, the shining gun lent out a loud engine roar and released a puff of energy from the mouth of the gun before forming a bright light at the tip, and then it formed into white lance of light that enlarged itself and blasts through the barrier, making a hole that has a view, different than the other part of the barrier.

"Yeesh, you're as gentle as ever huh, Sima?" The girl on her right said cheerfully. The black-haired girl called Sima looked at the girl beside her with her red eyes, raising her eyebrow as if mocking her with a 'surprised?' look. The girl shook her head and smiled cheerily. "Of course not, but I guess top brass ordered us to be as gentle as possible, huh?"

The girl speaking had white hair with purple tints at the end of each hair's strands. She looked at the barrier's hole with her blue round eyes as she marvel at it. "So this will lead us to Gensokyo huh? The Shanghai Alice?" She looked at Sima who had strapped her gun as it disappeared from her hand. Sima met her glance and she gestured her to get inside the barrier.

"Let us make haste." She said as she floats inside the barrier, but stopped midway to look at the green-haired girl. "Don't forget to charge your ancient artifact first before entering. We don't want to get ourselves trapped by a swarm of youkais, right? Paeter?"

The girl called Paeter pouts. "Muu..." She said. "Could you please stop calling me with my family name? Call me Rika for once? You've done it before, so how can't you do that again?" She used her hand to reach for her pocket and grabbed a black pendant that are made into a necklace. She wrapped her hand with the gem at the same side of her palm. "It's charged to a thousand and three hundred four out of one million. It should be of use for a day or two."

Sima nods before entering Shanghai Alice. Rika follows soon after her with the amulet clutched tightly with her fist. Both of them are surprised to find a land none other like their wonderland. A land of blue water as far as their eyes could see. With small island spreading along the way to the mainland. There are birds foreign to them and trees that is as distinct as the outside world's technology. Sima smiled and Rika grinned as they saw the dusk slowly coming. Before blasting off at high-speed to the mainland.

* * *

**Hi hi! FTW here!**

**As promised, I used my spare time from studying to write this chapter. This is the first incident arc out of five, make that out and interpret it however you want to. For this arc, it's dealing with the attack from the southern border of Gensokyo. Originally, I planned to make meiling swim here, but I guess it'll be silly as she can fly. I also wrote this chapter kinda sloppily, so I'm sorry if it's a little (or a lot more) confusing than the earlier chapters.  
**

**Though at first, I was planning to make the first incident looked like it was VIVIT's fault, but I don't want to bully a robot that couldn't even tell between common and uncommon senses. But don't worry, she'll be featured in some later arc... or probably made a cameo or something.**

**As for the Archipelago duo Sima and Rika, they're the native of the southern part of Gensokyo in solving many incidents that appeared there. This time, they're in-charge of handling the invasion on the eastern gensokyo by the order of the top brass in the still unknown archipelago organization. More of them may or may not be revealed as the plot wheel move.**

**Well, until next time.**


	4. Incident Arc 1: Stage 1 & 4 part a

Yukari Yakumo appeared from a gap that leads her to an unknown destination, or at least, some-what only known to her. It was a shrine near the top of a mountain that at first glance, a gray-painted Moriya shrine, but it doesn't have a lake that stretches into the far horizon. Though it does have a volcano that is still full of youth and active.

She walked two steps in and was then greeted with a woman in black and white french-maid dress that appeared in-front of her from out of nowhere, as if her presence is shadow itself. "Miss Yukari, your visit have been foretold by the young mistress." The way she held her broom in her hands indicates slight hostility, but it was kept to a minimum to hide her true intentions.

Yukari couldn't help but snicker at the thought of "Young Mistress", ignoring the girl before her. The maid who is at closer look, growing up in her teens, snickered along with Yukari, after realizing that she knows full well that she is making fun of her own mistress. She then bowed after realizing her mistake and blushes respectfully.

The maid's clothing itself doesn't have a distinguished flavor thrown in, but rather, it has a peculiar leather collar akin to that of a pet. Yukari couldn't help but think that the maid is the shrine's watchdog, but there are no sign of a place to put a leash on, or even just a place to wrap the leash unto so Yukari throw her own thoughts out of the window.

As the maid finished bowing, she resumes her duty; sweeping the front yard of the shrine. Yukari noticed that the girl didn't bother to sweep the ashes that is slowly forming a mole hill, but rather, focused on sweeping the fallen leaves of the autumn trees.

Yukari bowed back before resuming her walk to the backyard of the shrine. She casually walked down the brick-adorned path that leads to her destination, while thinking how much the maid had in common with a certain maid that she have fought before.

As she finally arrives at the main shrine's backyard she was then greeted by a woman wearing clothes akin to that of a shrine maiden, except that it has a more distinctive feeling than like that of the japanese shrines, or the chinese shrines. She wields a staff that has a cobra head-shaped wooden block attached to the tip of it, with the snake head at the top and the tail at the bottom part of the rod. The young maiden looked at Yukari excitedly.

"How very kind of you to visit, Yukari Yakumo." She said. "Have you considered on a likely candidate for my next pupil?" The young maiden looked at Yukari with hope engraved inside her white eyes. Her gray hair looked more like ash than snow, her shrine-like outfit is completely white, with the sleeves attached to the body part, and a blue sash as a means of tightening the stomach parts of her dress.

"Why don't you discuss it with your so-called leader?" She said gently, yet it feels like a mocking to the other party. "I am very sure that 'she' can do a better job at finding your replacement as a shrine maiden. She does know about your culture more than I do, Maryjane."

The girl called Maryjane laughed. "True, she is the one who brought Tiana, but she had some... accident happened to her during one incident, and now I'm back as the shrine keeper for this accursed Merapi Shrine again." She couldn't help but sigh, "And I was going to retire and ascend to a higher plane of existence too."

Yukari nods. "That is a wise choice for a cursed mortal such as you." She said. "Unable to die due to the curse of the shrine itself, extending your lifespan until the day that you will find a perfect discipline to become the next shrine keeper." She turned to face the active volcano quietly before asking Maryjane. "Say Maryjane, do you know who got sent to scout eastern Gensokyo?"

Maryjane looked at Yukari with disbelief, but her smile after that indicates that she should have known better of Yukari. She can't help but feeling herself more tired and looked at the volcano the same way as Yukari, albeit more melancholic, and a bit angry. "They're the organization top negotiator and my beloved mad scientist; Sima Kartanagare and Rika Paeter." She then turned her head to glare at Yukari. "If you have even the slightest intention to intervene—"

"No I do not have such plans." She said, closing her eyes. "I have faith in Gensokyo's many residence that it is enough to beat two fish out of the water such as them." She giggled eerily before turning to face Maryjane. "Even though I sent two people to deal with the current problem, I am sure that I actually only need one to solve it."

"The Hakurei Girl again?" She rubbed her temple before smiling helplessly. "We just can't win against her, can we? Also that Magician, the dog, and that earthbound wench."

Yukari laughs as she was then entertained by how Maryjane describes gensokyo's main resident. "Not in the slightest bit." Yukari smiled proudly. "Thankfully, she... the hakurei girl, nor the magician, nor the dog, nor the spirit. They wouldn't be the vanguard this time."

Maryjane raised one of her eyebrow, confused. "What, do you mean she's not participating at the front-line directly? Isn't that just absurd?" She laughed to herself as she felt silly for trusting Yukari's words yet again, but then thought about it for a while and then gasped. "No way. Is she—"

"Yes." Yukari nodded. "She has a new apprentice called Hong Meiling. A chinese girl with many great potential that is yet to awaken." Yukari looked at Maryjane who is back to her confused state, except she's at an even worse condition from before. "Wait, that's not what you think, isn't it?"

Maryjane nods. "I thought that they're just lazy."

Yukari went silent, and then she sighed unwittingly. "Well, that is one of their forte."

Maryjane giggled as if she had won a lottery. "Then shall we go inside to have some tea and talk, Yukari? It appears that the volcano is about to let some of her ashes." Yukari smiled at her before bowing courteously.

"It would be my pleasure, Lady Maryjane Lampyre."

Maryane giggled happily. "Oh stop it Yukari, you know that I'm easily flattered." She then leads the way to the guest house with Yukari following behind her. What they don't know is, that somewhere along the southern parts of the east, a certain shrine maiden sneezed.

"Are you okay Reimu?" Said a certain chinese person. "Do you want to go rest at the shrine and let me handle this incident?"

Reimu thought about it for a second. It seemed nice, but then if Meiling didn't resolve the incident properly, she'll be scolded by an old hag that has been past her primal years. She let out a forced sigh before replying Meiling with a shake of one's head. "I'm fine Meiling, just don't get in my way and we'll be fine."

"Yes, of course!"

"**HOLD IT!"** Was a loud order from below them. They stopped and looked below to find a school of mermaid that is seven in total. Each of them wearing a hoodie and with their hair of different color from the other following in accord to a rainbow.

Meiling was surprised, while Reimu had a headache, thinking that Gensokyo's populace are becoming more idiotic with each installments. As they went inside a forest of a small island, the mermaid went their separate ways and attacked the shrine maidens individually. Meiling and Reimu looked at each other before agreeing to split up.

While Reimu took on the yellow and green one, Meiling kicked the face of the indigo one, before dashing off to punch the purple one. Clearly meiling had defied two or three spell card battles, but it was only fair to not give her opponent any mercy... or so she thought to herself that way.

**-Girls are now preparing-**

"You're not allowed past this beach!" Said an angry blue-haired mermaid. "Past this is the land inhabited by many vicious creatures. Unless that you're the Hakurei Miko herself, I will not let you pass!"

Reimu and Meiling looked at each other with a boring expression plastered on each of their faces. They have been at a stalemate with the mermaid as Meiling tries to explain that she is a Hakurei Miko, but the mermaid's will didn't waver because she insists that there can only be one Hakurei Miko. Reimu's headache worsen as she now reached the point of catching other people's stupidity when she wasn't expecting that this argument will go for so long that the incident may as well be over when she finally get to the destination point. Meiling saw how annoyed Reimu is and negotiated with her.

"You go on ahead." She said. "If this girl refuse to let me pass, then I'll just have to kick her out of Gensokyo and back, right?"

Reimu nods, smiling at her proudly as she went pass the mermaid. As soon as the only living person in the area is Meiling and the mermaid, she started to introduce herself. "My name is Namino Minami. I am the guardian that protects the hot and cold water at the same time." She summoned a trident and held it with both of her hand firmly. "I am the last out of the seven rainbow mermaid sisters, and I'm the strongest out of all of them!"

Meiling couldn't help but be reminded of a certain ice fairy.

"Prepare yourself Fake Hakurei Miko!" She spun her trident and bullets came out from both sides akin to that of a machine that spews water to the grass around it. Meiling quickly dodged the bullet while waiting for the mermaid to stop and catch her breath.

"**Thousand Cherry Petals!"** Hong Meiling pulled her fist before punching the air in-front of her and caused a stream of red kunai danmakus to fly towards the mermaid. She quickly dodges it by sidestepping to the right, but she'd probably be defeated if she is not careful.

As soon as Meiling finished her barrage of bullets, it was Namino's turn to attack her. She pulled out a spellcard out of her hoodies' pouch and cast it. **"Nomadic Wave: Cold Stream"**. She threw her trident at Meiling, where Meiling quickly dodged to the side. Meiling wanted to gloat, but a danmaku pattern akin to that of a raging wave suddenly charged themselves into Meiling. Seeing a wide gap diagonally to her right, she flew there and quickly regained her balance before shooting a stream of kunai danmaku from out of thin air to hit Namino.

It almost grazed Namino as she maneuvered in such a way that it didn't hit her, almost like a fish, in-which Namino is part of a fish. Meiling clicked her tongue as Namino readied another trident and throw it at Meiling. This time, she went beside Namino as she tried to throw her trident and grazed it, in turn, the wave that came at her became somewhat easier to dodge. She then quickly hit Namino while she's not looking, followed with a feint to the back of the mermaid and hit her with one of her kunai danmakus, but Namino stands tall while taking the hit.

Meiling realized something and went to the opposite of Namino and gained as much space as possible between them. Naminno pulled out another spellcard from her pouch and called it. **"Stationary Wave: Tidal Wave." **She then hold her hands together as if praying and suddenly, a whirlpool appeared before Meiling that spews out many blue danmakus that went straight at her. Realizing that she could probably stream the bullets, she slowly let the bullets graze her while she wait for the right moment to strike.

As the whirlpool's danmaku let her get close to Namino, Meiling bet it all on a punch and dashes to the unsecured mermaid with haste and hand pulled back. When close, she punched the mermaid in the cheek with sheer brute force that it send the poor fish flying through a small sea mountain and hit an island's cliff behind it. Seeing that the guardian can't move, she wondered if she overused her power or something, and if she'll get a trial by fire by a certain tiny judge.

But as the guard mermaid begun to stand up again, Meiling felt her shoulders getting lighter.

The mermaid in turn, brushed the bleeding from her forehead off by using a bandage that she wraps around her head as she slowly went closer to Meiling who at this time, is like an existence the Mermaid is most afraid of.

Meiling, realizing the foolishness of her action tries to reason with the girl. "Um... Namino, correct?" She hoped that she said her name correctly as she doesn't want to anger her further. "You're bleeding on the head, and you've no strength left to continue. I propose that we should stop fighting and—"

"You're strong." Said the girl with a glint of adoration from her eyes. "If I am to back down from a fight against a strong woman like you, I can't bear myself to stand my belief. For I am honoring the pride of a man!"

Meiling couldn't help but grin in a weird way. "Um... aren't you a girl?"

"Don't be stupid! I'm a girl with the heart of a man!" She pulled out another card from her hoodies' pouch and called it. "This is my last spell, so you better be ready, for this is also my strongest!" She stances herself readily, where Meiling soon followed. "Here I go!" She threw her trident above her in which a sudden torrent of water burst from behind Namino and becomes one with the trident, forming a large dragon with eyes as cold as glacier. The skies began to turn dark as thunderclouds rumbled at will.

"**King of Waves: Leviathan!"** Namino outstretched her hand at Meiling and the dragon follows her will and tried to have an edge on the shrine maiden. She quickly side-stepped to the right, but was then surprised when the dragon's body shot many torrent-like azure danmakus at her which forced her to embrace faith and float to her right as far as she can without passing the battle arena barrier.

She survived and then went to Namino with full force. Anticipating this, Namino dodged to the right before ordering her dragon to attack Meiling, in which Meiling panicked and used a bomb as it is only inches from piercing through her left eye. **"Ancient Sign: Howl of the sky king"** She released an energy from her body that resembles a magnificent dragon. It then climbed the sky and pierced through the thunderclouds. The bomb quickly released a kind of rainbow-colored shockwaves that emptied the field of battle from any danmaku whatsoever, including the mermaid's Leviathan.

The mermaid herself quickly formed two trident, in which two dragon came to form. With a dragon in each hand's control, she quickly made the dragon that is in her control, follows Meiling around the battlefield while releasing a small bright yellow danmaku that was intended to trap the foe.

Meiling was about to use another bomb when she figured out how the pattern works and stand ready for the dragon. She then slowly waits for the dragon to come after her from behind, before she quickly fly as quickly as possible to her left and let her right arm graze the water dragons, and then watched herself out for the sporadic yellow danmakus so that she wouldn't get trapped again.

Before long, the fight went into a close as Meiling saw an opening and shoot a stream of bullet from her fist that successfully made the mermaid lost her balance. As if on que, Meiling quickly went for the kill as she saw an opening. Namino herself knew that she was open, and closed her eyes while she wait for the finishing blow.

With another punch, Meiling outstretched her hand and was about to hit her with her full strength, only to stop at the last moment and pats the scared Namino on her head. "I win." she said teasingly as she grinned from ear to ear like a horse. "Now, do you believe that I'm a shrine Miko?"

Namino opened her eyes and her stiffness went away in an instant along with her worries as she saw Meiling's face, bathed with light. She then groaned at Meiling who is ruffling her hair, embarassed. Blushing slightly, she said with a smile. "I... I think I do now. You're a strong person. May I know your name, great maiden?"

_Meiling went flustered as she rubbed the back of her head rather sheepishly. "Great Maiden? Don't make me laugh kid, I'm not even as powerful as Sanae and you called me a great maiden? That kind of hurt you know." The maiden looked down, wondering about her choices of life before looking back to Namino. "Of course I'm a great maiden kid... is what I wanted to say, but I'm not a shrine maiden. I'm just a woman who by coincidence, became a shrine maiden, has a great potential to be one, and I'm not even as strong as you might think... Is what I wanted to say, but she reminded me of Mistress Flandre, except with blue hair. If I destroyed her dream, I'll broke her pedestal and traumatize her."_

_...I guess I'll have to keep this charade a little longer huh?_

_But is that the best thing I can do?_

"Hong Meiling. Apprentice of Reimu Hakurei." She outstretched her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, um... Namino Minami. Is that correct?" Namino nods and shook her hand vigorously. She then watched Meiling went south as the sun rises and shades Meiling in bright colors so beautiful it almost made Namino runs blood from her nose.

_Namino, even though submerged, kept her vision fixed to Meiling only."Someday, I would like to be as strong as you."_She then swam back to the deeper part of the sea to regroup with her sisters whilst trying to hold her nose from leaking blood. _"And then after that..."_

"Namino, why are your nose bleeding?" Said one of her sisters. Namino in turn, looked to the side with a flustered face.

"N-Nothing." And then the area around her face turns purple.

* * *

Somewhere down the south, a certain shrine maiden couldn't help herself but to feel ill. She had been feeling discomfort with her body as her strength keeps getting weaker and weaker. Her strength that had already by gaining power points to 128 only made a less than decent amount of damage to a certain foe she met on the way.

Nevertheless, she gained a substantial amount of speed in exchange for her loss of strength and it shows itself at the distance she is making with Meiling. She almost took pride in herself if not for the pain she experienced from her chest each time her heart beats.

All her life, she had never experienced pain such as this. The least thing that resembled this mysterious symptom, is when she had a painstaking headache after eating shaved ice rather hastily, or when she's having a hangover.

A bad, chronic hangover.

"Damnit, if only I know what caused this, I'll be done with this incident and go home to sleep!"

"Hey, are you by any chance a shrine maiden?"

Suddenly came a voice from above her, a strange girl in her teenage years that is wearing a white lab coat came down to greet her. Her hair is white with a purple tint at each end of her hairs. She looked at Reimu like a girl who patiently awaits for her candy each week, cheerful and loud.

Reimu however... frowns.

"Aw... turn your frown upside down, pure maiden." She laughed loudly. "You seem to have a lot of sewage waters thrown at you. I'm a certified mad scientist, so I can probably tweak with your bodies a little here and there and give you a wave motion gun for an arm or something, how's that sound?" She looked at Reimu giddily as she delivers a fast-paced sentences with a glimmer in her eyes.

"Um... no thanks, I don't have the money, nor the time to do it anyway."

"Really? I thought Shrine Maiden has this charm stamped between their—"

"No we do not have such thing."

"Not even in their arm—"

"None whatsoever."

The scientist went silent for a while, and the shrine maiden felt herself in such unease, that she could feel an insane amount of raw magic power coming from her that reminds her of Marisa, even though Marisa has more than her in a broad comparison. "Hey, have you seen my friend?" She started, her face looking down, making her bangs covering her eyes. "She is a mongoloid with black hair. She has a gun hidden inside a holster she strapped on her belt, you can't really miss her."

"...No, I haven't seen a person like that before, nor have I seen you before."

"Really? Maybe because I came from an uncivilized part of the mystical lands?" She thought before scratching her head. "Maybe because I have this weird-colored hair? I knew that I should have made my hair blonde, or green when I had the chances." She started to curse to herself before searching for something in-between her moderate breast with her hand, and brought out a gem that is made into a pendant. "You be quiet!"

Reimu couldn't help but float past the weird girl before her. The girl who realized that, quickly reached for Reimu's hand from behind and stopped her. Reimu, annoyed by it, released her homing Hakurei orbs and shot her at her arm. The hand keeps itself wrapped at Reimu even after she had shot the mysterious girl that it's enough to mutilate a hand, but even after a pool of smoke has formed around the girl, she didn't let go of the hand around Reimu.

Reimu couldn't feel anything but unnerved by the situation at hand. As the hand is now holding her tighter and with more strength than before. She could feel that her hand is about to get squashed by this strange-haired girl. She panicked and retreats her homing bullets for her piercing needles. As she aimed for the white-haired girl

She felt a slight relieve when the hand released her, but then felt surprised as the girl tried to crush Reimu's arm, in which she just in time, slipped through the grasp and exchanged blows with the girl. Reimu being weakened due to some unforeseen circumstances only barely manages to slip through, she soon grew anxious when she thought that she could beat them easily if she's at her full power, but if she is to fight her in this condition, she'll eventually lose.

She hesitated, but then brought out a spellcard from inside her clothes. "I really don't want to use this on you, but I guess I'll have no choice." She casts the spell in which a circular motion were formed behind her by a white shining line. "May I ask you your name before you die or at the very least, injured? For Yukari will take every responsibility for my actions."

The white-haired girl began to glare at Reimu. "Sure, I can give you a name." She held the necklace inside her left hand, while she pulled out a plain brown wooden stick from her coat with her right hand. She then wrapped her necklace around the stick and the stick began to glow. "My name is Rika Paeter, and I'm a mad scientist." She laughed like a desperate maniac as her stick turned into a beam saber that stretches as far as an electric pole. "I'm also your awesome and arousing nightmares, Shrine Maiden."

Reimu could only swallow her own spit before laughing playfully, trying as hard as she could to not show her sickness. "You know, that raw power of yours reminded me of a certain someone I know." She motioned herself into different poses that made the circle behind her spin and glows with the color of red, blue, green, and yellow. Each of them shines into a ball of bright energy that soon became a thousand more than the original. "As I am a home team, I'll let you get the first throw miss mad scientist."

The self-proclaimed mad scientist clicked her tongue before grinning wide, baring her teeth. "Don't disappoint me. My necklace wants me to give her a good fight, so I'll give her a good fight!" She raised her sword high into the air before her sword began to talk in a robotic and monotonous voice.

"Compact Spell Card System Active. Preparing Lunatic Level Spell Card Slot."

The air suddenly went silent as a gust of wind blow through. They remained in the same pose, watching their opponents with high concentration. After a short out of eternity in waiting, Reimu saw the mad scientist moving an inch of her hands below and followed in no time.

"**MADNESS NOTE : DREADNOUGHT RAISER!"**

"**DREAM SIGN : FANTASY HEAVEN"**

The beam of the laser blade collides with the multi-colored orbs that Reimu throw at a point in the middle of Rika's dreadnought raiser. Both of them screamed out their will to win as they clashed in the middle with both girls pushing their beams against on another. After a short while, the two magnificent forces merged and caused a shockwave with a heatwave following. It was a pretty sight to behold, but not to experience as it soon grows out of hand and their powers caused an explosion, making a blinding white light that could be seen from a faraway horizon, outer space, and underwater.

Meanwhile, at Ryuugu Castle, Meiling is about to fight the queen of mermaid.

* * *

**Hi hi! FTW here!**

**I'm so excited to write again! As you can see, this chapter takes two days to finish because I was busy making another story at the time (And thank god it was a one-shot). Originally, I had planned for Reimu to fight Sima, but I don't really want that to happen right now, for I have a better idea to use for her in the next (two or so) chapter.  
**

**Regarding the Merapi Shrine. If you have at least gone to Indonesia, you will know that they have an active volcano mountain with the name of Merapi there. It is said that in the age of legends, a shrine used to be built there to serve as a medium in which offerings were delivered to the spirit of the mountain god. It is said that the shrine mysteriously disappeared when the industrial revolution kicked in, or was lost underneath the cold lava that has turned into soil, but nevertheless, it was a cursed shrine and there's an urban legend about it.**

**Make what you will of its residence, so far I have only introduced two (And that's plenty for an arc), and their detail will not be disclosed right now, so go happily google any southern ghost you can find that wears a refined french maid dress,  
**

**If you're wondering what Namino is, she's a salt-water mermaid that is guarding the arafuru sea(Literally means hot wave cold wave) as per the queen of mermaid's instruction. She has six older sisters, but she is the strongest out of them. I want to make her and Cirno best bud, but I'm afraid that they'll become a duo sue, and besides, Namino's character is so plain and two dimensional, so I have to make her more "bearable" for the readers first before proceeding to do whatever the heck I want.**

**Maybe she'll appear again in EXTRA.**

**Well, that's it for now, bye bye!**


	5. Incident Arc 1: Stage 2a & 4 part B

"Ran-sama, I've brought the tea." Said Chen who happily lifts a large carrier with three cups of tea, and one pot for refills, along with a bowl of sugar cube. She then lowers it slowly to the table where Marisa and Ran is sitting. Humming a tune, she went to find a third table and place it beside Ran, happily sat on it and drink her tea joyfully. She looked at a tensed Marisa and then at Ran, equally tense.

She happily grabbed her cup of tea, puts half the sugar inside the bowl. "Hey... aren't you going to go with me Marisa?"

"...Not a fan of tea party," Said Marisa curtly.

Of course she's not a fan if she's suddenly being forced to wake up before her usual waking hour... which is twelve at noon without an added second late.

Chen whimpered slowly before drinking her tea again. She then looked at her one and only Ran-sama with gleaming eyes, begging to make this situation less awkward. Ran in turn, smiles at Chen before taking her cup of tea. She held it within Chen's arm length in such an inviting way that Chen couldn't possibly resist.

"Cheers."

Chen grinned happily before clinking her cup of tea with Ran's. "Cheers!" She yelled cheerfully.

Marisa looked at Chen before smiling and grabbed her tea. Chen looked at Marisa while gasping happily, as if in awe. "Marisa, I thought you're not a fan of tea party!" Chen teased. Marisa in response, was at that instant taken aback as she quickly dropped three sugar cubes into her cup of tea.

"W-Well, seeing your grinning horse-like face I couldn't help but be sucked in by it!" She then frantically turned to Ran who nods approvingly. She sighed in relieve for at least one person agrees with her reasonings. She then picked up a spoon before stirring the inside of the cup gently, yet strong at the same time.

"Chen," Said Ran. "Would you mind waiting outside and play with Alice next door? Marisa and I has to speak of something in a very secret atmosphere." She rose from her chair and walked to Chen, adjusting herself to Chen's height before patting her head gently, ruffling her hair. "I'm sure Alice wouldn't resist a cute doll like you."

Chen's eyes glimmer before she nods an ran off to Marisa's neighbour Alice. She walked outside Marisa's house and visits Alice's in a flash. She knocked on the door lightly, but audible enough to have a solid response from the one inside.

"Wait just a second." She said as she yawns. Who would've knocked at her door this early in the morning was all in her minds. She walked to the door, but pressed a button beside the door and it summoned a group of doll at each sides of the door. Safety first, as they say.

When Alice opened the door, she found Chen who is playing with a butterfly. She found it so amazingly cute that she almost had blood running through her nostrils. She then watched as Chen turns her head towards her and grins, baring her little fangs. She couldn't hold it any longer as her voice sprung up as she rushes for the two-tailed kitten.

"**CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"** She then helps herself with picking Chen up and brought her inside the house. Chen only laughed happily as she finally catches the butterfly with her hands. Alice who caught a glimpse of this couldn't help but sheds tears of blood.

"_GODDAMNIT SHE'S JUST TOO CUTE!"__Alice thought to herself in a rather loud voice as she held her tears of blood in check. She then placed Chen on a comfy chair before rushing to the back of her studio. She grabbed a hair-drier, a headband with frills, and then all sorts of costumes. "This and this, with this, and this and that." She drooled as she picked up a kimono._

Ran on the other hand, is trying to hold a serious conversation with Marisa. With a light exhale, she suddenly warped Marisa's broom and placed it on the table in-front of her. Marisa looked at the broom with glimmering hope as she held it high before hugging it tightly. She rubbed each strands of the broom's and sigh in relieve. "Oh, I thought I'll never see you again."

Ran chuckled before warping another item, this time a mail from Yukari in the form of an envelope. She gave it to Marisa who distracts herself from the broom and grabs the mail with haste. Marisa carefully looked at the seal on the envelope. It is a seal made from a border that can only be opened by the addressed. As it's addressed for Marisa, she suspects that Ran knows nothing o the properties inside the envelope.

Although Marisa have an inkling what it is.

"Incident again, isn't it?"

Ran nods.

Marisa clicked her tongue as she looked at the clock. It was five A.M in the morning. "How long has the incident happened!?" She turned to Ran who held up two of her right fingers. Marisa lifts up a brow before smiling. "Two minutes, you're fast to tell."

Ran shook her head. "It's actually two hours, Marisa."

Marisa forcefully lent out a grin before picking her mini-hakkero, her broom, and then kicked out the front door of her house and flew away in haste. Ran soon followed outside, warping an item into her hand and threw it to Marisa. "Give it to Reimu!" She yelled. Marisa does a u-turn before grabbing the item mid-air. It was a red and white pill.

Marisa looked at Ran who is yelling a couple more words, but is too far to reach her. She couldn't do anything but give her a thumbs up and then flew away to the south.

_Ran smiled at Marisa before walking to Alice's house. "I wonder if Alice found Chen's company amusing for her." As she opened the door to Alice's house, she foun Chen in a short kimono, wearing a head maid frills, and black stockings with a wooden geta as footwear, in a cat-like position, hands beside her head mimicking a cat, and then she turned while saying "nya" very sweetly._

**LOVE SIGN : NOSEBLEED SPARK**

From Ran's nostrils, shoots a beam of red that is actually blood all over Alice's studio. It misses Chen on purpose and hit the wall, and then it sprays all over Alice's furniture and bed. Alice herself who is inside her storeroom looking for more equipment didn't hear anything over the sound of her current mental state and drooling mouth.

When Alice finally found her desired dresses and equipment, she hurriedly ran back to her studio, but stopped as she saw the state of her studio dripping wet with blood, a shikigami that is laying down unconsciously with Chen crying beside the Shikigami. She saw how concerned Chen was and quickly ran beside the shikigami, who is awkwardly smiling in delight with blood dripping down her nostrils like an open faucet.

"Wha—" She started to speak. "What the hell happened!?"

The scream was heard all across eastern gensokyo.

**-Girls are now preparing-**

The palace under the sea, and the area around it was always ruled by the mermaids. They vow their royalty to uphold every rule in accordance to the rules Yukari had given to them. They are not to eat people without permit, they are not to invade land territories (Rivers and Lakes are fine). But most importantly, they are not to cause any incident.

And yet, Meiling is fighting along the hallway to the throne room, just so she could see the queen of mermaid herself.

The queen of mermaid wasn't really at a fine mood that day. Ryugu palace has been in shambles because of her incapable subordinates couldn't handle a single chinese girl in her prime years. She readied herself with her usual black and red garments, covering her youthful teenage self in a fine kimono, and then pulled out four swords from a shelf beside her, and equipped its sheathes with her belt. The sheathes themselves began to shine, revealing a red iris for an eye, and white hair as if they're aging. Yet they contradicts her youth.

"Queen Kuroseto!" A young mermaid in blue suddenly appeared before her. "I've fought against her before, let me—"

The queen shook her head. "No, let me handle this."

She catches Kuroseto's hand as she tried to walk past her. "Kuroseto! I won't ask this because you're the current queen, but because I'm your friend. Let me—"

"Enough Namino." She pushed her hand away forcefully. Namino looked at the queen with tears in her eyes. Realizing this Kuroseto smiled, hugged her before she opened the door leading to the throne room. "If something happened to me, you know what to do."

Namino suddenly lost the power controlling her feet as she fell down, crying as her will break down. "**KUROSETO!" **As the door was hurriedly closed by Kuroseto, Namino could only loathe herself for being powerless and cried her tears out. Her feelings were somehow mixed over who is right and wrong now. The great maiden she oh so praise, or her friend who is somehow causing the incident.

"Do you wish for power?" Comes a voice from behind her.

It was a woman with green hair. Wearing a peculiar hat and a dress she could only imagine was thoroughly made by a dresser with a peculiar taste in embroidery. She held out a hand that is reachable within the arm-length of Namino.

"Do you wish for power? Young mermaid?"

Namino was confused, but she couldn't help to refuse the offer. With a slap of a hand, Namino cried out. "I... I don't need power from a strange woman." She quickly stood up. "I... don't need you to give me unnecessary powers if I can get them myself." Namino turned her back from the woman before she walked to the door leading to the throne room.

"I'll just have to see the truth for myself."

The green-haired lady chuckled before slowly dissipating into thin air. "So be it then."

As she opened the door the fight was still at the first phase. Kuroseto was doing fine, but Meiling done better as she slowly, but steadily could aim her soul bullets faster at the queen of mermaid. Kuroseto's bullets themselves wasn't shabby. Without a spell, she could conjure a blast of waves within her hand and then releases it into an orb of blue and red that follows Meiling wherever she goes until it dissipates into tiny particles that stays permanently.

Meiling wasn't careful enough to pay notice of the orbs that she almost got herself killed ramming into it. The constant strain from the non-spell has tattered Meiling, but she somehow pulled through without using a bomb by managing to throw Kuroseto off guard with a soul bullet. Kuroseto without alarm, proceeds to raise one f her spell card.

"**Wonder Sign : Hollow Abyss." **She said with elegance. Suddenly dark torrential waves sprouts from beneath Meiling, catching her off-guard. She had no other way around it and was forced to bomb, damaging her enemy prematurely. Namino was ready to help her friend in this battle, but so far, haven't found the right time to intervene.

After readjusting her position, Meiling anticipates torrential waves from beneath her, but it came from her right side this time. She somehow evades it without any cut on her right side, but was too strained to continue on. The uncertainty of the queen of mermaid's spell card was too overwhelming for her it stresses her in the process.

She anticipates her opponent making another move when another torrent bursts from beneath, and above her. She dodged to the left while anticipating another. Slowly but surely, it came from her right, and then from her left. Then both sides simultaneously. Meiling had gotten used to the spell and it leaves her with little room for doubt as she have memorized the tempo of the rhythm, but she could feel that the tempo has been hastened, and that the queen of mermaid herself was missing from her spot.

"_Is it a time-out spell?" Was the first that came to her thought as Meiling danced her way across the sea of torrents. She herself couldn't help but look at every sides of the room for the queen, but she couldn't even find a strand of the queen's hair, let alone the queen herself._

In a flash, the queen appeared behind Meiling with a sword, ready to be unsheathed. "Not quite Priestess Meiling." Meiling froze as her words was filled with every intent befitting insanity and loathe. "It was actually a risky spell card that lets you kill me in one hit... if you're lucky enough to survive the spell and then hit me, that is." She unsheathed the sword and points the end at the side of Meiling's neck.

"What say you, Priestess?"

Meiling swallowed her own spit before proceeding. "I... No, _We_ of the Hakurei Shrine, demand a request to see the queen in person."

The queen laughed sarcastically. "Do you expect me to believe that lie? If you're really here to ask for a visit to see the queen, why didn't you use the normal procedure!?" She held it closer to the neck of Meiling, this time without a warning.

"Wait, I'm trying to tell you about an inci—"

"Silence." The queen proceeds to engrave her sign into Meiling, but she stopped halfway and went silence herself. "No, this is just too easy... I need more fun than this." She stared at Meiling maliciously. "Hey, let's play a game."

"...What kind of game?" Was Meiling's reluctant answer. She technically has no choice but to comply. Kuroseto's hands has been gripping her neck rather tightly that it was too hard to breathe normally.

"Let's play tag or die." She stated, "But wait, I already have you on my grasp, and I'm it! SO... BYE!" Kuroseto clenched her fingers, pressing it against the skin of Meiling's throat. Meiling felt great sensations of pain from below her head and she couldn't breathe at that instant.

She tried to speak, but her voice turned into grumbling and choked whispers. She can feel her whole body burning with adrenaline as she tried to grab Kuroseto's arm. Her pupil started to shrink and turned akin to that of an enraged beast, with her breathing becoming less and less in perfect rhythm with her train of thought. When Meiling successfully grabbed the arms that has ten fingers, pushing against her neck, she smiled as if victorious.

And then the sound of bones being cracked. Crushed by a strong force. Meiling went silent, but Kuroseto keeps her devilish grin still plastered on her face, grinning, and then she laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed akin to a maniac.

* * *

Reimu wasn't fully aware of her situation now nor she could are less about what is happening around her, or in-front of her. All she needs to keep in mind is that she needs to avoid all the danmakus thrown at her from the self-proclaimed mad scientist she had fought for no more than five minutes.

If only she were not as weak as she is now, she could have done the fight with only one spell card. She has done her best in that instant, but it could only serve to beat her one spell card that is shaped like a sword that could cleave the ocean and part it into two. She couldn't bear the thought of how much property damage that could cause and doing that was her only option to repel the worst possible outcome to the hell that is property repayment, with the funds for them being taken from her donation box, that everyone know is empty.

Rika on the other spectrum, was mortified at the thought that a mere human could dodge every danmaku that she have been perfecting since she was ten. At eleven years old she could make a pattern that rivaled a grown up in a single try, but failed to keep the same pattern from being steady and balanced and couldn't last for even a lapse of second, but she perfected it at the age of thirteen. She now can cast her spell card patterns at a range of two full minute to three full minute, with variations added into it in every forty to fifty second interval in-between.

Now at the age of sixteen, she could easily beat a mythical beast with one deadly concoction thrown at them one after another that she took full pride in its creation, mainly by mixing gunpowder with the requirements to make a bomb, or a small-sized nuke that she could make with ease with just two fingers doing the concocting and her brains calculating. She highly regards fineness after power as she have been brought up to be a perfect example of a perfect grade student.

She shouldn't show mercy while fighting, should not take it easy and always be cautious, and should be able to kill her foes that has less chance of successful beating, into one hundred percent of kicking much behinds. And yet she struggles to even graze one opponent that she thought could beat in a single move, and yet, not only couldn't she beat her in said one spell card, but she also suffered a great amount of damage to her right hand due to one bullet being able to graze her arm in such a way that she couldn't even fight in her usual way. Going around in a runabout way and then trying to at least land a hit with her prematurely made spell card. She took pride in her non-spells, but she couldn't help but feel inferior to her partner, Sima Kertangare, in every aspects of her spell cards.

"Why can't I hit you!? Why!? Why!? Why!? **WHY**!?"

Reimu kept her calm as she tried to pinpoint her non-spell weaknesses and blind spots. Not once she paid attention to her ranting.

Both girls have fought well over time, but Reimu can only time out the spells and not cancel them. She struggled to dodge left and right and even to remember the patterns, but her piercing needles, her strongest attack so far, couldn't even hit her opponent, let alone damage it. If it even has any power at all. Let alone throw her weapons at her, she's too weak to even hold them properly. Over time, her breathing grows wild, and her body rhythm has gone from calm and collected to crude and rushing. She looked at her opponent, who is almost about ready to end her spell card and return to her non-spell. Reimu knew that this is the last opening she'll ever get in a short while, and braced herself for the impact as she rushed past the laser beams and stray danmakus, past the kunai danmakus and popsicle danmakus.

Finally face to face with her opponent, she tightly grabbed one of her piercing needle with both hand, and without looking straight, feeling her opponent with her left shoulder as she bumped it into her opponent's stomach, she didn't need to see Rika's face as she can feel her opponent's to strike her at her vital point that will cause an instant spell break, a desperate measure that only a Hakurei knows how to pull it off.

"How can she—" Rika's loathing was cut short when a needle pierced her pressure point and made her cough up air. She looked at her stomach area, and there was a needle pierced into her body, and yet, there was no blood, nor injury that could be seen. "How...?"

Reimu smirked, eyes looking down at the sea below her. "I have pierced through your pressure point, as long as my needle is there, you can't use your spell cards." She took a long sigh before looking up, eyes straight at the mad scientist, full of bravery and at the same time, desperation. "You can still use your non-spells that you're so proud of, but I doubt that you can even move you body."

Reimu was right. As Rika tried to move her body, all she can feel is how numb her nerves and senses are. The mad scientist glared at Reimu like a feral animal, as she moved her hand with sheer willpower and pulled out her gem-adorned necklace.

"R-release." She whispered slowly to her necklace, and then the necklace shines and from within the bracelet, black miasma appeared before forming a ball. The ball itself levitates on the air around the mad scientist as Reimu looked at the mad scientist helplessly.

"**Suicide Sign : Final Dreadnought Raiser"**

The ball of darkness soon came flying down as it aimed themselves to Reimu. Reimu who isn't even looking straight due to her dizziness, felt her body burning up and her vision blurred. As the world before her went into slow motion, she could feel the imminent death that is her life.

She closed her eyes and then there are only darkness.

...

Then a smile were formed on her face.

"**Love Sign : Long Range Master Spark"**

Wiping out all the dark orbs of darkness from far away, is a tired Marisa who is stretching her hands forward with a mini-hakkero in her opened palm. She grinned widely whilst sweating her brains out. She can feel cold sweat running down her cheek as she sighed in relieve that she could save the hakurei shrine maiden in time.

"Yes!"

Rika looked at the source of the laser in awe. The spell card that annihilated hers in an instant was very beautiful. She can hardly contain the tears in her eyes as the laser dissipates into a twinkling dusts akin to pixie dust. As she fell down after her mind receiving severe exhaustion, she catched a glimpse of the spell maker; A blonde girl with a black witch get-up, riding a brown broom. It was so far away that she couldn't make out the face.

Marisa went full speed to catch both the shrine maiden, and the mad scientist, before laying them down to the nearest island she could find.

Reimu opened her eyes to find a grinning Marisa who is out of her breath and grinned mockingly. "Took you long enough, you witch." She said.

Marisa rubbed her hand behind her head while paying no mind to the maiden's insult. "Well, I was going as fast as I could, but it's good that I got here in time, right?" She then remembered something and went to her pouch, taking out a red and white pill and put it inside Reimu's mouth. "A gift from the gap youkai. Eat up."

Reimu swallowed the pill, it leaves a bitter taste on her tongue.

"...I couldn't feel my tongue."

"Well, a good medicine is the most bitter, right?" She chuckled. "So what now?"

"I will go further to the southernmost part of Gensokyo." Reimu said. "...This is too dangerous, and you have broken the spell card rule."

Marisa suddenly frowned. "But I did it to save you."

"And that's why I don't want you to continue, stupid!" Reimu slapped a paper on Marisa's forehead. "I was trying to keep this incident secret from you so you wouldn't worry... but I guess I was wrong. The point is Marisa, let me handle this job."

Marisa nods, albeit still frowning and discontent, but she didn't want to feel the wrath of the shrine maiden either.

Reimu felt her energy coming back. She regained her acute senses and can now fly easily. Her breathing was calm and collected again and her body felt light, as if a literal weight on her shoulder has been lift. As she stands up, she looked at the unconscious mad scientist and pulled her persuasion needle from her pressure point.

She then proceeded to sigh as she pitied the girl. "Marisa, can your broom take up two people's weight?"

Marisa grinned before picking up the girl as she rode her broom and placed her at the rear end of the broom. The girl is then tied with Marisa using the girl's scarf. "Done. Should I take her to Eirin?" She looked at Reimu who is good to go. Reimu nods approvingly as Marisa slid down her hat and blasts off to the north.

Reimu in return, looked to the south as she readied her Hakurei Barrier. Above her is a woman wearing a dress like a bureaucrat, her right arm pointing her gun at Reimu. "I can't let you take my prisoner away you know. She's vital for further information, rest assured. She's in a good hand."

"What shall we do, my Master?"

The voice is mechanical, almost like a computer talking back to the user through a voice interface, yet Reimu could sense some entity with an emotion residing in it.

"Bullet type, zero. Maximum charge."

As if agreeing with her wielder, the gun let out a click sound, before the revolver slid violently while inside the gun, six bullets were crudely projected. "Bullet type Zero has been loaded, as for my master; Trigger ready. Spell card has been formed."

"**Independence Logic : Five basic Ideology"**

The shell was triggered, and from the gun's mouth came bursting dark energy that is aiming at Reimu, after it came a red-colored rockets that is soon followed by blue laser beams. Then comes yellow barrages of knife and finally a white beam of light akin to Master Spark, but less ravaging, and more on a controlled side of the scale.

Reimu smirked before dodging the dark energy to the right, leaped up to avoid the red colored rockets, deflects the blue lasers with her hand and squeeze through the gaps created by the swords. And then using her saved up hakurei barrier to deflect the white laser beam up into the sky, piercing the cloud, and out of the atmosphere without even breaking a sweat.

From far away, Marisa took a glance at the pillar of light that seems to be a shining beacon that pierces even the seventh cloud, as if infinitely stretching itself throught the galaxy and to the next in a loop.

"Go get'em ze."

She then blasts off into the far distance.

Leaving the scene of glorious battlefield before him into the far land of the east.

Somewhere, deep inside the southern sea, a dead shrine maiden rose from her slumber and stared at the queen of mermaid. Aura of darkness, light, fire, ice, wind, earth, and lightning swirled around her as her eyes turns rainbow-colored, spiralling inside her iris violently. Her hands turned into a claw, and a tail emerged from her behind.

She outstretched her hand forward, creating a shockwave that catches Kuroseto off guard and sends her across the room into the next, destroying the wall to the treasury in the process.

The shrine maiden roars to the concrete sky.

What came from her mouth is only incoherent screams.

* * *

**Hi hi! FTW here!**

**So... yeah, I was busy taking a vacation... and I'm very sorry for neglecting my writer duty.**

**Not much to say here, except that I'm sorry for no update for two weeks.**

**Again. I'm very, very sorry.**

**Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make myself some kebab.**


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